WHY FLORIDA REQUIRES Two Roofing Licenses
Most South Florida roofers hold one license. The state requires a second one for any structural work around the roof. Here is what that means for your home, and why we hold both.
By Leon Meir, Owner · DR Construction & Roofing · CGC 1507284 + CCC 1328855
The 60-Second Answer
Florida issues two separate contractor licenses for roofing work. The CCC (Certified Roofing Contractor) authorizes installation, repair, and replacement of every roofing system. The CGC (Certified General Contractor) authorizes the structural work around the roof, including fascia, decking, framing repair, soffit work, and any modification to the building envelope. Most roofers hold only the CCC, which means they sub out structural work to a licensed general contractor. DR Construction holds both, so the entire job stays with one crew. Our license numbers are CGC 1507284 and CCC 1328855.
Section 1: What the CCC License Covers
The Certified Roofing Contractor license, known as the CCC, is governed by Florida Statute Chapter 489 and administered by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. It is the license a homeowner expects every roofer to hold. It authorizes the licensee to install, maintain, repair, alter, extend, or design (when not otherwise prohibited) the surface of every type of roof on a residential or commercial building.
In practical terms, the CCC covers shingle roofing, tile roofing, metal roofing, flat roofing, modified bitumen, single-ply membrane systems, underlayment, flashing, vents, drip edge, and ridge cap. It also covers gutters and downspouts, waterproofing, and the application of roof coatings. If the work is on the roof surface itself, the CCC qualifies the contractor to perform it.
What the CCC does not cover is structural work to the building underneath the roof. That is the line where a second license becomes legally required. Holding a CCC and nothing else means a contractor is qualified for the roof system, and only the roof system.
Section 2: What the CGC License Covers
The Certified General Contractor license, the CGC, is the broadest construction license Florida issues. A CGC is qualified to construct, repair, alter, remodel, add to, demolish, subtract from, or improve any building or structure, including all related structural components. The CCC is narrow and deep. The CGC is broad.
On a roofing job, the CGC matters most for the work that lives just under the shingles. Decking replacement is structural. Fascia replacement is structural. Soffit work is structural. Framing repair, truss tail rebuilds, and any modification to the building envelope are all structural. So is wind-mitigation strap installation that requires the strap to be tied into a load-bearing member and signed off in a structural inspection.
A CCC-only roofer who finds rotted decking on a teardown has three legal options: stop the job and refuse the structural work, walk the homeowner through a separate contract with a licensed general contractor, or operate outside the scope of their license. The third option is a violation of Florida Statute 489.127. The first two cost time, money, and continuity. DR Construction holds both licenses (CGC 1507284 and CCC 1328855) so none of those options apply to our jobs.
Section 3: When the Second License Actually Matters
The CGC is invisible right up until the moment the roof comes off and the contractor finds something underneath. Here are the five scenarios that come up on real Florida roofing jobs where the second license is the difference between a one-crew job and a two-contractor delay.
1. Rotted fascia found during teardown
Fascia is the horizontal board attached to the truss tails along the eave. South Florida humidity and prior leaks rot fascia constantly. A CCC-only roofer who finds it has to stop, sub it to a GC, and reschedule. A dual-licensed contractor swaps it the same day under the same permit. It is the most common single source of unplanned delay on a Broward County re-roof.
2. Decking replacement
Replacing structural roof decking is general contracting work, not roofing work. Florida re-roof permits routinely require decking replacement once the existing surface is removed and rotted plywood is exposed. A CCC alone is not enough to legally perform that replacement on a structural sheet that ties into the building's load path. Under CGC 1507284 our crews handle it without leaving the jobsite.
3. Soffit damage repair
Soffits are the underside of the eave overhang and tie into the wall framing. Wind, water intrusion, and pest damage all destroy soffits, and they almost never show up until the roof is opened. Soffit replacement is general contracting work because it touches both finish and structural components. A roofer without a CGC has to stop and call someone else.
4. Permit-pulled chimney or skylight modifications
Modifying or rebuilding a chimney chase, adding a skylight, relocating a skylight, or reframing a curb-mounted unit all require structural permits and structural inspections. Broward, Palm Beach, and Miami-Dade building departments will not accept those permits under a CCC alone. A CGC is what gets the inspector to sign off.
5. Wind-mitigation strap installation
Wind-mitigation work in Florida (hurricane straps, clips, single-wrap to double-wrap upgrades) is one of the most valuable insurance moves a homeowner can make. When the upgrade requires tying new straps into structural framing, a structural inspection is part of the permit. That inspection is signed off under a CGC, not a CCC. A dual-licensed contractor can document the upgrade, pull the permit, and deliver the OIR-B1-1802 form to the homeowner's insurance carrier in one pass.
Section 4: What "Subcontracting It Out" Actually Costs You
When a CCC-only roofer hits structural work and subs it to a GC, the homeowner inherits five problems they did not sign up for.
First, a second crew shows up, often days later. Roofing crews and general contractors run independent schedules, and the GC's calendar is rarely sitting open waiting for a same-day call. The roof is exposed, tarped, or partially open while the homeowner waits.
Second, a second markup hits the invoice. The roofer marks up the GC's labor. The GC marks up materials. Pricing that looked clean in the original quote balloons in the change order.
Third, scheduling delays cascade. Re-roofs in South Florida already run on tight permit windows. A two-day delay for a fascia repair can push a final inspection past the dry-in deadline, which can trigger reinspection fees and material warranty issues.
Fourth, warranty finger-pointing becomes routine. When water shows up in the soffit two years later, the roofer points to the GC and the GC points to the roofer. Nobody owns the failure.
Fifth, two separate inspections are required. Two trip charges, two scheduling windows, two opportunities for an inspector to reject the work. With a single dual-licensed contractor, every part of the job is permitted, performed, and inspected under one set of license numbers (in our case, CGC 1507284 and CCC 1328855) and one accountable name on the contract.
Section 5: How to Check a Florida Roofer's Licenses
License verification is free, public, and takes about ninety seconds. Every Florida homeowner should do it before signing a roofing contract. Here is the four-step process.
- 1 Go to MyFloridaLicense.com, the official portal of the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Click "Verify a License." Do not use third-party sites or directories. The DBPR portal is the only authoritative source.
- 2 Search by either the license number or the contractor's business name. License numbers are the fastest path. CCC numbers always start with "CCC," CGC numbers always start with "CGC," and the format is three letters plus seven digits.
- 3 Read the result. The state will show the license type, status (Active, Inactive, Null and Void), issue date, expiration date, the qualifying agent, and any complaint or disciplinary history. An active license with no disciplinary record is the floor, not the ceiling.
- 4 Search the contractor a second time for the second license type. A dual-licensed roofer will return two records: one CCC and one CGC. If only one returns, the contractor is single-licensed, regardless of what the website claims.
Section 6: Verifying DR Construction
DR Construction & Roofing operates as DR CONSTRUCTION AND ROOFING INC. Florida law requires every contractor license to be held by an individual, not a company. Both of our licenses are held by the qualifying agent for our corporation. We name him on the licenses page, alongside DBPR screenshots of both records, because transparency on this point is part of the work.
Our two license numbers are CGC 1507284 and CCC 1328855. You can verify both at MyFloridaLicense.com right now. The active status, the qualifying agent, and the company association are all public record. We have linked the verification proof, including DBPR result screenshots, on our /licenses/ page.
If you are deciding between roofing contractors in South Florida, the simplest qualifying question is this: ask for both license numbers. Not "are you licensed and insured." Both numbers. If a contractor returns only one, you now know what that means.
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